WORLD
with PRIM PATNASIRI
PRIM PATNASIRI
@primpatnasiri
Freediver and Cou Cou girl, Prim Patnasiri, takes us to Koh Kood to honour the strength and softness of our natural world.
Q&A
NAME
Prim
FROM
Bangkok, Thailand
LOVES
Films, olives, cats, books, music, nature, cuddles.
HATES
Being boxed up!
Q&A continued
CURRENTLY READING
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami - in Thai - and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
CURRENTLY INSPIRED BY
Forever inspired by movies and this song, ‘Tempelhot’ by Yann Tiersen. Have a listen with headphones or really good speakers - surround sound is even better.
EARTH DAY DIARY
WHAT’S YOUR NATURAL LOVE LANGUAGE?
Feeling the ocean hugging me from under the water. Swirling around when diving and looking up to see the reflection of the sun against the water. Fresh air against my skin. Seeing the endless beauty of the horizon and watching the sun set and rise. When you’re in shallow water and you see the reflection of the sun dancing on the sand. I love watching it.
WHAT DOES TIME IN NATURE GIVE YOU?
Nature gives us so much insight - it reminds us of our power but it also reminds us of how small we are. That at the end of the day, we are connected to something bigger than ourselves. It nourishes us, comforts us, inspires us - but most importantly, it humbles us.
PLEASE SHARE A MEMORY OR MOMENT IN NATURE THAT YOU CHERISH AND WHY...
I remember swimming in the ocean, the sun was setting and all I saw was the horizon separating the pink sky and the blue ocean. It was beautiful. The lights reflected beautifully on the surface of the water. I heard the sound of a flute. I noticed a man sitting on a rock playing his flute. He was playing it so smoothly, so vibrantly. I listened to him as I was in the ocean watching the sky change from light to dark. How beautiful and simple this experience was.
EARTH DAY DIARY continued
WHAT SHIFTS WHEN WE STOP SEEING OURSELVES AS SEPARATE FROM NATURE, BUT INSTEAD A PART OF IT?
We start to remember ourselves as oneness. We are nature, we come from nature, and when we see ourselves as part of it, it reminds us of how we are part of this bigger thing - a place beyond us. That everything connects. That we come together from a place and will eventually go there together as well. It feels amazing to feel part of something bigger and flow with the world around you.
DO YOU BELIEVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EARTH MIRRORS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OURSELVES?
I do believe that there is a correspondence in our relationship with ourselves and our relationship with the earth. I think that if we have a strong relationship with nature, we gravitate more towards a loving, kind, and open-minded relationship with ourselves. There is so much to learn about our inner world and I think developing a relationship with nature through experience will allow us to learn so much more about ourselves. Things we tend to maybe overlook…
"Nature gives us so much insight - it reminds us of our power but it also reminds us of how small we are. That at the end of the day, we are connected to something bigger than ourselves.”
–Prim Patnasiri
EARTH DAY DIARY continued
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PLACE IN NATURE THAT FEELS SACRED OR SPECIAL ? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU & WHY?
เกาะเต่า / Koh Tao in Thailand is a very sacred space and place to me. I’ve spent a lot of my time there and found my love for free diving there. Me and my family grew to have a very profound relationship with the land there. We’re slowly planting our home, learning a lot about the land on the island. Planning and building our very own sacred space. We are learning a lot, which is special. I’ve also made some really beautiful connections with the islanders, who I now see as my island family.
WHAT DOES RECIPROCITY WITH THE EARTH LOOK LIKE FOR YOU - NOT JUST TAKING, BUT GIVING BACK?
Reciprocity, to me, comes from community. Building, growing communities, whether it is through food, culture, education. Learning more will help people to better understand ways to give back to the earth. Food can be shared and acknowledged on a dinner table full of interesting conversations. Communities can educate people more about culture - whether that would be under water or on land. When we are more open to learning, we put ourselves out there for experiences. That’s when we can learn how to give back.
EARTH DAY DIARY continued
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU THINK THE NATURAL WORLD CAN TEACH US ABOUT SOFTNESS?
When in nature, I think it’s very important to be soft and kind when you travel through it. Nature teaches us to be gentle with ourselves and with our surroundings. With softness comes patience. Everything moves more slowly with nature. There is a sense of surrendering that we constantly have to be aware of because nature has its own timing, its own pace. We flow more elegantly with the natural world. That kind of knowledge and understanding is something I try to carry with me always.
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU THINK THE NATURAL WORLD CAN TEACH US ABOUT STRENGTH?
As much as it could be beautiful and soft, the natural world is also a very powerful force. It could kill us at any moment and eat us alive. So the key is to be gentle with it, so that nature can be gentle with us back.
EARTH DAY DIARY continued
HOW HAS FREEDIVING CHANGED THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT LIFE ABOVE WATER?
I have definitely developed some spiritual understanding through my practice. Through freedriving, I learned a lot about my relationship with myself, which is something I’m always working on. I acknowledge a lot of my flaws and ways to surrender to them or improve them. When you’re that deep underwater - say, thirty metres - there’s you and you only. You have to really listen to your body, quiet your mind, and trust yourself fully. All of these understandings, I try to practice them daily - be it underwater or not.
WHAT IS IT YOU LOVE ABOUT DEEP DIVING? WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
The sensation you get from being hugged and squeezed by the ocean and being completely immersed from within is a very loving feeling. There is also that exhilarating excitement you get when you are deep underwater. It usually happens before, and then you have to literally calm down, slow your heart rate, relax, and just let your body sink. It feels like flying. You become so connected to your body. It’s amazing. I love the water and the ocean. I’m the best version of myself when I’m around it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OCEAN CAN TEACH US?
The ocean humbles. In so many ways. That in itself is such a powerful teaching.
